Let's Make the ODA a Prominent Issue
in the Parry Sound - Muskoka
March 22, 2001 By-Election

A provincial by-election
has been called for Thursday, March 22,
2001 in the Parry Sound Muskoka riding, to fill the vacancy,
created when Conservative Treasurer Ernie Eves resigned. No party
has yet selected their candidate for this by-election.

The ODA Committee wants
to make the Ontarians with Disabilities Act
a prominent issue in this by-election. The ODA Committee's Hamilton
Region
and ODA supporters did an excellent job of raising the ODA in last
September's by-election in Ancaster-Dundas-Flamborough-Aldershot.
Let's repeat that success here.

As a non-partisan coalition,
we do not seek to elect any particular
person. As we did in the 1999 provincial election, and the 2000
Hamilton by-election, we have three goals here:

to get commitments
from as many candidates as possible to
support a strong ODA;

to let the public
know about the records of the three parties
on the ODA issue, and

to encourage voters
to make the ODA issue a major factor in
their decision when they vote in this bi-election.

WHAT CAN YOU DO TO
HELP?

Here are ideas on what
you can do to help. These ideas focus
largely on people who live in or near this riding. If you live
outside this riding, you can also help a great deal by getting our
message out to people you know who live in the riding, and/or by
visiting the riding yourself.

You are encouraged to
bring to the attention of voters the need for
a strong and effective ODA, and the record of the three parties on
this issue.

The Conservatives promised
to enact the ODA in their first term,
but have never kept that promise, even though they are well into
their second term. The Liberals and NDP both have actively
supported a strong and effective ODA, and have repeatedly pressed
the Harris Government to keep its broken promises to us.

1. Action Tips Before
Each Party Nominates its Candidate

None of the three parties
have yet selected their candidates for
this bi-election. The media reports that there are three
candidates for the Conservative nomination. They will likely
nominate their candidates quickly.

You can quickly get the
ODA raised during the nomination process,
by:

Contacting candidates
for nomination by each party. Encourage
them to endorse enactment of a strong, mandatory ODA by November
23, 2001. The ODA should comply with the 11 principles we have
put forward, and which the Legislature unanimously approved by
resolution on October 29, 1998. Inform them of the Government's
record on this issue to date.

Letting the media know
the positions on the ODA issue of each
candidate for nomination.

Attending a party's candidate
nomination meetings or any debates
among those seeking nomination, and publicly ask them about their
position on the ODA. Let the public attending those meetings know
about the ODA issue and why this is important to voters. It will
be especially interesting to see what position is put forward by
those seeking the Conservative Party's nomination. Will they
defend the Harris Government's record on the ODA, or will they seek
a mandate to go to Queen's Park to urge the Harris Government to be
more supportive of a strong, mandatory ODA?

2. During the Bi-Election
Campaign Itself

Here are steps you can
take throughout the campaign. You do not
need to wait until all three parties have nominated their candidates:

Publicize the ODA issue
in your local media. Inform reporters
about this election issue. Write guest columns and letters to the
editor. Phone in to radio call-in shows. Call or visit your local
news media and urge that they give this issue real profile during
the campaign.

Let other voters know
how important this issue is to you, and
encourage them to take it into account when deciding how to vote.
You can do this at public meetings or even by word of mouth.

Find out when all-candidates
debates are. Attend them, and
raise the ODA issue with the candidates. Let us know when and
where these debates will occur so we can pass the word on to
others.

Insist that this by-election
be fully barrier-free.

Read through this site
for ideas on election action, posted during
the 1999 election campaign.

Circulate this action
tip on the Internet, and print it up to
distribute to others in hard-copy form.

If you are part of a
province-wide community organization, notify
your offices in or near the Parry Sound Muskoka riding. Urge them
to distribute this action tip and to do what they can to get the
word out. Also, encourage them to do whatever they can to help
ensure that all voters with disabilities will be able to get to the
polling booths and to vote without facing barriers.

Let us know what you are
doing regarding this by-election. Send us
any media coverage.